Letter Writing for class 5 English

Concept : Formal Letter Introduction

Formal English letters are required for business and other official purposes. In this chapter students will know formal letter structure, specifically, the formal letter introduction part, that will help to assist effective business and official letters and emails.

In this learning concept , students will learn:

• Introductory paragraph in a formal letter with examples.
• Tone to maintain in the introduction paragraph with examples.
• Length of the introduction paragraph with examples.
• Common errors that occur while writing the introduction of a formal letter.

All English grammar concepts for class 5 have been covered using examples, mind maps and illustrations. To assess the understanding of these concepts, students can easily access worksheets. The solutions to these worksheets are also available in easily downloadable PDF format.

Let us learn the correct way to write an introduction in a formal letter.

Introduction in a formal letter

• The first paragraph of formal letters usually has an introduction to the purpose of the letter.
• It's common to introduce yourself or thank someone in the introduction.

The tone of the Introduction Paragraph

• The tone of the first paragraph is basically formal and direct in language for a formal letter.
• There should not be any incomplete information or hint in the first paragraph. The reader should know your intention in writing the letter.
• It should be able to swiftly engage and draw the attention of the reader since many such letters are received in official communication on a regular basis. So, if the letter fails to grab the attention, it might be ignored.

Length of the Introduction Paragraph

• The length of the intro should be ideally precise. It should be somewhere around two sentences.
• The introduction of a formal letter is most likely to vary with the type or purpose of the letter. This means that the introduction for a letter of inquiry and that of a complaint will certainly not be the same. Therefore the length might vary depending on the purpose of the letter.

Examples:

Now let us examine how the introduction or the first paragraph should look like for the following types of formal letters:

1. Letter to Principal requesting to grant leave

   Respected Madam,
   I am Mohan Roy, a student in class 5. This is to keep you informed that I require a few days of leave from school this month to attend my elder sister’s wedding.

2. Letter to Principal Requesting to Include you in the Educational Trip

   Respected Sir,
   I am Anjana Tendulkar, studying in class 5, section A. This is a request to include me in the educational tour organized by the school to Murshidabad in the coming summer break.

Common Mistakes

1. Using informal language in the first paragraph: Since it is a formal letter, be precise, to the point and formal in tone and writing.
2. Do not begin the letter all of a sudden. Give an introduction of yourself or the purpose of the letter.

   Examples:

   Respected Sir,  I will be on leave from 10th May to 13th May as I have a family function to attend.
   In the above example, the topic has been introduced all of a sudden and the tone is not formal, rather appears casual.
   Respected Sir,
    Iam Roshan, a student of class 5. This is to inform you that, I will require leave from 10th May to 13th May, 2022.
   In the above example, there is a brief introduction of the writer, and the main purpose of writing the letter is mentioned in a formal tone.

3. Keep your letter free of grammar and punctuation errors, especially in a formal letter, and more so in the first paragraph as it could irritate the reader.

   Examples:

    I am Roshan a student of class 5. This is to inform you that I’ll require leave from 10th May to 13th May.
   In the above example notice the grammar, and punctuation errors along with the contracted form of I will.

   Examples:

    I am Roshan Mundra, a student in class 5. This is to inform you that, I will require leave from 10th May to 13th May, 2022.

4. Do not give half information in the first paragraph.

   Examples:

    I am Roshan of class 5. This is to inform you that I will require leave from 10th to 13th.
   In the above example, the student’s name is not fully mentioned. The date period has no month and year mentioned.
    I am Roshan Mundra, a student in class 5. This is to inform you that, I will require leave from 10th May to 13th May, 2022.
   Take a look at the mind map below for a quick recap of what should be there in the introduction paragraph of a formal letter.

Concept : Formal Letter

The students will learn several various parts of a formal letter with examples and pictures. They will also learn about the structure and various parts of a formal letter.

In this learning concept, the students will learn:

• To write a formal letter.
• To avoid common mistakes that might be take place while using this topic.

Every concept is taught to class 5 English students with the help of examples, illustrations, and concept maps. Once you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the two printable worksheets which has formal letter exercises given at the end of the page.

Download the worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions for the concept Formal Letter provided in PDF format.

Definition :

• Formal letters are usually written or used for business or official purposes and they are known for their strict format.
• Formal letters are naturally much more formal in style than informal or friendly letters.
• Formal letters can be written for a number of reasons such as,

1. To raise/ address an issue
2. To share official information
3. To apply for a job position
4. To order products
5. To the Newspaper editor.

Example:

Structure and Parts of a Formal Letter

Subject

• Just below the address of the receiver section, the subject is kept.
• This subject is a one-line summary of the purpose of the letter that helps the reader/receiver to quickly grab the context of the letter.
• The subject of the letter is written following the word subject with a colon.

Greeting or Salutation

• Greeting in the formal letter should also be formal.
• ‘Sir’ or ‘Madame’ is used or the title (Mr./Mrs.) followed by the full name or last name.

Body

• It may consist of two or three paragraphs where the first paragraph should state the motive of the letter properly.
• The tone should be formal and the language should be brief.

Closing

• Closing is but the phrases often used like ‘yours sincerely’ or ‘yours faithfully’.
• This is written on the left side of the letter.

Signature

Just below the closing, a signature is used which should be the full name of the sender.

Types of Formal Letters

There are three major types of formal letters namely-

• Business letters
• Applications
• Letters to newspapers

 

Features of a Formal Letter

Some of the features of formal letters are as follows:

1. Formal letters must be written in brief.
2. The language should be formal and courteous.
3. The tone should be polite yet firm.
4. All the parts of the letter should be aligned properly.
5. The first paragraph should narrate the purpose or the problem.

Common Mistake

• The ‘subject’ in a formal letter is a very important part.
• Don’t miss out to write the subject in your letter.
• Also, subject should always be in a single line and should start with a verb or noun.

Example:

1. Requesting for a sick leave.
2. Application for a spelling correction in the certificate

Concept : Informal Letter

In this concept, students of class 5 English will study to write an informal letter with definition and examples. They will also learn about the various parts of an informal letter.

From this learning concept students will also learn:

• To write informal letters
• To arrange the parts of an informal letter in the correct sequence.

Every concept is taught to class 5 students with the help of examples, illustrations, and concept maps. Once you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the two printable worksheets given at the end of the page. Download the worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions for the concept Informal Letter provided in PDF format.

Definition :

• An informal letter is a letter written for someone we know, who can be friend or a family member.
• The tone of an informal letter is friendly and less formal in comparison to that of a formal letter.
• Informal letter is also known as personal letter.
• Although the format remains same across the different types of informal letters but the tone and content changes according to the purpose of the letter.

Parts of an Informal Letter

Address of sender

The top right corner of the page is kept for this section. There should not be any incomplete information in the address. Right full address along with pin code.
Date
Date on which the letter is written is placed just below sender’s address, on the right side.
Greeting/Salutation
Greeting in formal in letter should be informal. So usually ‘we use ‘dear’, dearest o my dear.
Body
It may consist of two or three paragraphs where the first paragraph should mention the purpose of the letter properly. The tone should be personal and cordial.
Closing
Closing is nothing but the phrases often used to lose the letter like’ yours sincerely’ or ‘yours faithfully’. This is written on the left or right side depending on the choice of the writer.
Signature
Just below the closing we put our signature followed by our name in block letters written just below.

Features of an informal letter:

• Informal letters can be just like discussion with our family.
• The language can be amicable and cordial.
• The tone does not need to be formal
• All the parts of the letter should be aligned properly.
• The first paragraph should explain the purpose.

Common Mistake

Don’t write any subject in an informal letter. Subjects are written only in formal letters.